There are those in the rock canon, and then there are these — the live recordings that never quite get enough appreciationBy Colin Fleming

The Greatest Live Show on Earth, Jerry Lee Lewis (1964)

The Greatest Live Show on Earth, Jerry Lee Lewis (1964)

The Killer, of course, never lacked for confidence, so you can imagine he was completely on board with the title. His Star Club set is more famous, but this contemporaneous document is as salty as early rock ever got. The concluding "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" sums up the artist's every dirty thought.

Live On Maxwell Street 1964, Robert Nighthawk (2000)

Live On Maxwell Street 1964, Robert Nighthawk (2000)

Yeah, technically it's a blues album, but there's a lot of blues-rock here. Lots of city grit, too. Which is appropriate, as these Nighthawk field recordings were sourced from the streets of Chicago. You hear cars, horns, people shouting, and one mean, slightly out-of-tune guitar coming at you again and again.